Monday, October 25, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

1921 Bunk houses from Adrian and Columbia River
1921 Move 8x12 hand car house from Quincy to Ephrata

1922 Construct public crossings

1922 Bunk house from Circle

1922 Replace motor at pumping plant

1923 Install 11200 feet of ROW fence 4 miles west of Ephrata

1923 Ephrata to Quincy: Relay present 85# rail with new 100# rail from present end of 100# rail at station 6736-22 about 1/2 mile west of west switch Ephrata to west end of 90# rail near west switch Quincy station, a distance of 16 miles, providing 7x10 1/2 inch new tie plates and 5/8x6 inch spikes out of face. Relay rail lighter than 75# with second hand 85# rail in passing tracks at Naylor, Winchester, and Quincy; also tie plate curves in passing tacks with second hand tie plates and relay 68# turnouts with #9 turnouts, using second hand switch material recovered from main line. Provide curve number and elevation boards. Place 13000 cubic yards ballast out of face from Adrian pit charging 40% to capital account, balance to operating expense, provide for track bonding in connection with signal department. Extend passing track at Quincy to connect with east wye switch

1923 Electric lights in depot
1923 Move section house from Chopaka to Ephrata

1924 Electric lights in section house

1924 Construct Union Oil spur

1924 Install car body building

1924 Install cut-out for alarm bell

1925 Place oil drums

1925 Connect to city water
1925 Fill bridges 344.1, 344.2 & 362

1926 Deepen well

1928 Auxiliary telephone in depot warehouse

1928 Replace 100# passing track switches with 110# material

1929 Extend passing track

1931 Private crossing at Cyrus Ave

1932 Enlarge signal maintainers cottage

1934 Extend public crossing at Pacific Ave

1934 Move gas engine from Lyons to Ephrata pumping plant

1935 Highway underpass

1935 Air compressor for pumping plant

1935 Extend public crossing

1936 Add bedroom to section house

1937 Remove private crossing at Cyrus Ave

1937 Retire bunkhouse

1937 Install bunkhouse from Quincy

1939 Replace engine at pumping plant

1939 Water hose connection

1940 Assessment for sewer

1941 Shingles on roof of depot

1941 Loading platform

1942 Replace pump

1943 Remodel 29x100 station

1943 Sewer pipe

1943 Extend industry track

1943 Turnouts for Army tracks

1943 Grading for west leg of wye
1943 Fit up four 2689' capacity arch bar cars for use as bunk cars to house employees

1944 Relay through turnouts of passing tracks with 112# rail

1944 Remove mail crane

1945 Install spring switches

1945 Construct tool house

1945 Place derail on lead to Army Air Depot track

1945 Basin Concrete spur

1946 Griswold signals on Division and Third Ave

1946 Sewer line

1947 Assessment for streets-8th

1947 Pave platforms at depot

1947 Remove switch and connect industry tracks

1947 Purchase billing machine

1947 Purchase adding machine

1947 Install toilets in laborers houses

1947 Construct sidewalk on Third Ave

1948 Pave and repair crossings and relay 253 feet main line

1948 Improvements to company house
1948 Install shoo-fly tracks for canal crossing

Saturday, October 23, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The older photo was taken in 1976, the later photo in 2010. Note the buildings on the very right have not changed, except for paint, and that the siding in the old photo is now the only track. Beyond the grade crossing with Alder Street there is a jog in the tracks where the siding goes to the right and catches up with the main track. In the old photo there is a silver grain building in the background, which is still there, but in the later view is obscured by a tree. The depot sign is in a private collection in town.

The grassy area was a project by the town fathers to beautify the area:

Friday, October 15, 2010

The following is from Allen Miller, regarding operations in Moses Lake, who also supplied the photo:

"I did a little research on Moses Lake (Neppel) depot. The new depot was completed and the agent's job bulletined in December, 1912. H. L. Johnsrud, the first agent at Warden, bid in the new job and opened the station in January, 1913. He didn't stay long and promptly bid in the vacant agency at Kittitas in March and L. G. Graham, from the agency at Ewan, took over the Neppel agency next.

"When the Marcellus and Moses Lake lines were built they were not connected to the main line via telegraph. Messages to and from the branch line agencies had to be relayed by phone through the agency at Warden. This resulted in a lot of extra work for the Warden agent, essentially making it a small scale relay office.

"In March, 1916, repeaters were installed at Warden to connect Marcellus Neppel and Ruff to the main line telegraph. It was said that the boys on the branch were so rusty after several years of not using their Morse skills that their call letters, NP - Neppel, MR - Marcellus and RU - Ruff, had to be sent to them by mail. For the first few weeks there were some strange things heard over the Morse on the branches as the boys struggled to re-aquire their former skills.

"A fish business developed out of the numerous Carp that abounded in Moses Lake. I read in a newspaper article about Elsie Rudloff, wife of the station agent, that the fish were shipped to Jewish rituals in New York City. In September, 1917 there is mention that J. G. Vickers, Milwaukee agent at Warden, was in Neppel looking after the fish business. In April, 1919 there is another mention that fish were now moving from Neppel to eastern markets. Again, in June, 1919 Agent Vickers was again in Neppel looking after his fishing interests.

"Emil E. Rudloff, formerly the original agent at Ralston, became the agent at Neppel around 1920-21 I believe. Next was Frank M. Sever. He was there as early as August, 1943 when the accident happened to the troop train at Warden. George LaValley was agent in the 1950's and '60's and I have attached a scan of a train order he copied there in 1954. This is the only order I am aware of from Moses Lake. I once had two copies, but traded one set to Ken Secrest, of Kalispell, Montana.

"The last agent was Marv B. Williamson, there by 1970 and until the station was closed."

Monday, October 11, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

Friday, October 8, 2010

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

There was much recent discussion regarding the dates of photos posted here over on the Facebook site for this blog. It resulted in a trip to the area on 10-03-10 to see if we could recreate this view from 1958:

We found where this view was taken, but liked our vantage point better. If only the weather had cooperated.

Changes to note:
Wanapum dam now in place.
US 10 bridge gone.
Interstate 90 bridge in place.
Milwaukee Road long abandoned.
More water.